Patents by Inventor Athanasios Kollias

Athanasios Kollias has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240114292
    Abstract: A system includes a first membrane, a second membrane and a third membrane spaced apart from one another, wherein the second membrane is between the first membrane and the third membrane, and the second membrane comprises a plurality of openings, a sealed low pressure chamber between the first membrane and the third membrane, and a plurality of electrodes in the sealed low pressure chamber
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2023
    Publication date: April 4, 2024
    Inventors: Marc Fueldner, Andreas Wiesbauer, Athanasios Kollias
  • Patent number: 11932533
    Abstract: A triple-membrane MEMS device includes a first membrane, a second membrane and a third membrane spaced apart from one another, wherein the second membrane is between the first membrane and the third membrane, a sealed low pressure chamber between the first membrane and the third membrane, a first stator and a second stator in the sealed low pressure chamber, and a signal processing circuit configured to read-out output signals of the triple-membrane MEMS device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Marc Fueldner, Andreas Wiesbauer, Athanasios Kollias
  • Patent number: 11885705
    Abstract: Pressure sensors include stacking of sensor capacitors on top of reference capacitors. A pressure cavity may be extended below a bottom electrode. The pressure sensors may include a mechanical link of a top membrane with the bottom electrode in order to form a dual membrane, or a mechanical link of the top membrane, the bottom electrode and an intermediate electrode within a cavity. A pressure sensor includes a first and second pressure sensing portions, each including a first and second rigid electrodes, and a deflectable membrane structure. The second rigid electrode is between the first rigid electrode and the deflectable membrane structure arranged in a vertical configuration. The first and second rigid electrodes of the first and second pressure sensing portions form respective reference capacitors, and the second rigid electrodes and the deflectable membrane structures form respective sensing capacitors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Athanasios Kollias, Bernhard Winkler
  • Patent number: 11889283
    Abstract: A system includes a first membrane, a second membrane and a third membrane spaced apart from one another, wherein the second membrane is between the first membrane and the third membrane, and the second membrane comprises a plurality of openings, a sealed low pressure chamber between the first membrane and the third membrane, and a plurality of electrodes in the sealed low pressure chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Marc Fueldner, Andreas Wiesbauer, Athanasios Kollias
  • Patent number: 11879801
    Abstract: A controller for an environmental sensor provides digital environmental measurement values from analog environmental measurements performed by analog circuitry, the digital environmental measurement values lying in a global scale range. The controller subjects the global scale range to a subdivision into scale subranges that are proper subranges of the global scale range. The controller selects, among the scale subranges, one scale subrange in which an analog environmental measurement is to be performed, selects an offset information and a gain information that are associated with the selected scale subrange and that are indicative of an offset and a gain to be applied by the analog circuitry to perform an analog environmental measurement in the selected scale subrange, and to provide the offset information and the gain information to the analog circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2024
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Andreas Wiesbauer, Alessandro Caspani, Christian Jenkner, Athanasios Kollias
  • Publication number: 20230184610
    Abstract: A sensor arrangement includes a substrate having a through opening between a first and a second main surface region, a sound transducing portion at the first main surface region of the substrate and spanning the through opening in the substrate, and a pressure sensing portion at the first main surface region of the substrate and fluidically coupled to the through opening in the substrate. The sound transducing portion includes a deflectable membrane structure, and a counter electrode. The pressure sensing portion includes a first and second rigid electrode and a deflectable membrane structure. The deflectable membrane structure of the pressure sensing portion opposes the plane of the first main surface region of the substrate. The first and second rigid electrodes of the pressure sensor form a reference capacitor of the pressure sensor, and the second rigid electrode and the membrane structure form a sense capacitor of the pressure sensor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2022
    Publication date: June 15, 2023
    Inventors: Athanasios Kollias, Marc Fueldner, Matthias Friedrich Herrmann, Gunar Lorenz, Andreas Wiesbauer
  • Publication number: 20230054356
    Abstract: A pressure sensor includes a first pressure sensing portion and a second pressure sensing portion, each including a first rigid electrode, a second rigid electrode, and a deflectable membrane structure, wherein the second rigid electrode is between the first rigid electrode and the deflectable membrane structure, and wherein the first rigid electrode, the second rigid electrode and the deflectable membrane structure are in a vertical configuration, and wherein the first and second rigid electrode of the first pressure sensing portion form a reference capacitor, and wherein the second rigid electrode and the deflectable membrane structure of the first pressure sensing portion form a sensing capacitor, and wherein the first and second rigid electrode of the second pressure sensing portion form a reference capacitor, and wherein the second rigid electrode and the deflectable membrane structure of the second pressure sensing portion form a sensing capacitor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2022
    Publication date: February 23, 2023
    Inventors: Athanasios Kollias, Bernhard Winkler
  • Publication number: 20220381635
    Abstract: A controller for an environmental sensor provides digital environmental measurement values from analog environmental measurements performed by analog circuitry, the digital environmental measurement values lying in a global scale range. The controller subjects the global scale range to a subdivision into scale subranges that are proper subranges of the global scale range. The controller selects, among the scale subranges, one scale subrange in which an analog environmental measurement is to be performed, selects an offset information and a gain information that are associated with the selected scale subrange and that are indicative of an offset and a gain to be applied by the analog circuitry to perform an analog environmental measurement in the selected scale subrange, and to provide the offset information and the gain information to the analog circuitry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 21, 2022
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Inventors: Andreas Wiesbauer, Alessandro Caspani, Christian Jenkner, Athanasios Kollias
  • Publication number: 20220201398
    Abstract: A system includes a first membrane, a second membrane and a third membrane spaced apart from one another, wherein the second membrane is between the first membrane and the third membrane, and the second membrane comprises a plurality of openings, a sealed low pressure chamber between the first membrane and the third membrane, and a plurality of electrodes in the sealed low pressure chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Inventors: Marc Fueldner, Andreas Wiesbauer, Athanasios Kollias
  • Publication number: 20220194784
    Abstract: A triple-membrane MEMS device includes a first membrane, a second membrane and a third membrane spaced apart from one another, wherein the second membrane is between the first membrane and the third membrane, a sealed low pressure chamber between the first membrane and the third membrane, a first stator and a second stator in the sealed low pressure chamber, and a signal processing circuit configured to read-out output signals of the triple-membrane MEMS device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Inventors: Marc Fueldner, Andreas Wiesbauer, Athanasios Kollias
  • Patent number: 11193844
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a sensor includes: a signal source with a first signal source terminal and a second signal source terminal; a bridge circuit connected to the first and second signal source terminals, the bridge circuit including: a first branch including: a first reference impedance element; and a first sensor impedance element configured to transduce a magnitude to be measured into a first impedance-related parameter; and a second branch including: a second reference impedance element; and a second sensor impedance element configured to transduce the magnitude to be measured into a second sensor impedance-related parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
    Inventors: Athanasios Kollias, Christian Jenkner, Alexander Joebstl, Daniel Neumaier
  • Publication number: 20190383684
    Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment, a sensor includes: a signal source with a first signal source terminal and a second signal source terminal; a bridge circuit connected to the first and second signal source terminals, the bridge circuit including: a first branch including: a first reference impedance element; and a first sensor impedance element configured to transduce a magnitude to be measured into a first impedance-related parameter; and a second branch including: a second reference impedance element; and a second sensor impedance element configured to transduce the magnitude to be measured into a second sensor impedance-related parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Publication date: December 19, 2019
    Inventors: Athanasios Kollias, Christian Jenkner, Alexander Joebstl, Daniel Neumaier
  • Patent number: 10175130
    Abstract: An embodiment includes a method of performing a measurement using a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) device that includes a plurality of MEMS sensors having different resonant frequencies. The method includes applying an excitation signal to a first port of the MEMS device such that each of the plurality of the MEMS sensors is stimulated by the excitation signal. The method further includes measuring a signal at a second port of the MEMS device and determining a measured value based on the measuring the signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG
    Inventors: Athanasios Kollias, Matthias Friedrich Herrmann, Christian Ebner, Ernesto Romani, Stephan Mechnig, Joseph Hufschmitt, Andreas Wiesbauer, Christian Jenkner
  • Publication number: 20160305835
    Abstract: An embodiment includes a method of performing a measurement using a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) device that includes a plurality of MEMS sensors having different resonant frequencies. The method includes applying an excitation signal to a first port of the MEMS device such that each of the plurality of the MEMS sensors is stimulated by the excitation signal. The method further includes measuring a signal at a second port of the MEMS device and determining a measured value based on the measuring the signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 18, 2016
    Publication date: October 20, 2016
    Inventors: Athanasios Kollias, Matthias Friedrich Herrmann, Christian Ebner, Ernesto Romani, Stephan Mechnig, Joseph Hufschmitt, Andreas Wiesbauer, Christian Jenkner